Quranic Wisdom

it is quite unrealistic for a man or a woman to become arrogant. The only realistic behaviour for an achiever is for him or her to show complete modesty. Arrogance means denying the bounty of God and modesty means acknowledgement of God’s contribution. According to the Quran, the arrogant should be punished for their ungratefulness and the modest should be blessed with greater bounty. This, moreover, is directly related to personality development. Arrogance vitiates one’s personality with negativity, while modesty creates positive thinking. There is a great difference between the two: negative thinking is the source of all kinds of evils, while positive thinking is the source of all kinds of goodness. Wise men are always modest in their behaviour. Actions Matter A t the time of the Prophet of Islam, there were certain people in Madinah who talked of the truth, yet they did nothing for its sake and used beautiful words to cover up their misdeeds. Exposing these people, the Quran says in the chapter Al-‘Imran (The Family of Imran): Those who exult in their misdeeds and love to be praised for what they have not done should not suppose that they are secure from punishment; they shall suffer a grievous punishment. (3:188) According to this divine principle set forth in the Quran, it is only real action that matters: empty words have no value in the eyes of God. Those who utter such words are referred to in the Quran as hypocrites. And hypocritical behaviour is not acceptable to God.